or, What Facebook is
Really For
This blog could actually have many titles, but I narrowed it
down to the two above.
We need code names for my four charges. The boys will be Nemo, Captain, and Ninja,
and my sweet Baby will be Princess.
The day began about on schedule, roughened around the edges
by the fact that Ninja got to bed late every night so far this week, Captain
hasn’t napped well Monday or Tuesday, and I was up in the night for a good two
to three hours last night. When Nemo’s
Mommy dropped him off, she informed me that he would not be picked up before
naptime as I had anticipated he would be.
Bound and determined that Captain would get a good nap today, and trying
to preserve my own sanity and make some dinner in time for 5, I had planned to
stay inside to play. As soon as my brood
of four was complete I knew I was going to need some help.
My downstairs neighbor had planned to teach a few children
Preschool in her home this morning and told me Ninja (the closest to the age-
and ability-level of her group) was welcome to join in, but as his usually-quiet
nature gave way to a sleep-deprived performance routine, I perceived he would
not do better for her and opted not to dump him into her life for the morning.
Everyone needed a snack as soon as Princess finished eating,
which worked well because she happily went down for a nap. After snack I fought with Ninja and Captain
to clear the floor so we could dance around a little (Nemo was surprisingly
willing to help). Once satisfactory, I
found something upbeat on the radio and they had some fun while I tried to
recharge with a few verses of scripture study.
So glad I took that time!
When that got old, I don’t even remember what happened after
that. It was a blur of time-outs and
we-don’t-hit-people’s and let-him-out-of-the-closets with a few breaks of peace
in between. Lunchtime came early, and
thankfully so. Ninja’s appetite really
wasn’t what it should be, and Captain didn’t like his lunch much (though I’m
told he chose it himself), but Nemo happily ate almost every bite. Since he was doing so well, I decided to try
to put him down for a nap first (princess woke up about them, thus clearing
that room for his use). Since the others
were happily playing, I took a little extra time to sing to and rock him, and I
left the room with some hope that he would stay down.
By now my lunch was only part-way finished cooking. Ravenous in my first trimester of pregnancy,
it was an almost-maddening stressor to be kept from eating all by itself, but I
didn’t want anything else than what it would take 20 more minutes to finish
cooking. Somewhere along the way I
knocked a glassful of milk onto the floor, which glass fell onto the padded
booster chair by some tender mercy of a loving God who had clearly heard my
plea that I would have the strength to survive the day with all my charges
safe, and was answering.
Captain was next. He
went down easily and cheerfully. Ejale!
After much cajoling – then stern words – then raised voice,
I finally locked Nemo in the bedroom. Ninja
(whose behavior instantly transformed when the other two boys were out of view)
watched me with a look of helpless wanting to help – or at least understand –
as I stormed around trying to get Nemo to stay in bed and feed myself. The voice of Nemo’s mother telling me how
much he loved to nap at home haunted me as I finally sat down to my meal as he
cried in the background. It was too hot
to eat. I tore out of my chair and
yanked open the freezer door. As I did,
a box of O’s toppled down from its perch, but with an almost animal growl I
smacked it out of its trajectory into the microwave across the tiny hall of a
kitchen before it could hit my head. I
didn’t even look to see where it fell.
I found the ice. I
twisted the cubes loose and then tried in vain to scoop one out with my finger,
so I cracked the whole tray upside-down over my bowl, letting the cubes that
didn’t make it into the bowl fly where they would, and then flinging the
remainder with the tray to the other side of the table. Ninja and Princess enjoyed finding, chewing,
and sharing them while I scarffed my satisfactory, but not-awesome lunch: half of
a meal mix made to feed an entire family.
I asked Ninja for a hug. We both
needed one.
As I finished up, I could hear Nemo crying, “Please! Please!,”
which I’d learned from previous sad experience meant he’d pooped his pants – as
he always did at my house once or twice per naptime. Trying to make amends, and improve the ambient
in his little world (I wouldn’t be able to sleep with an angry sitter either),
I locked the door with the other two on the outside and talked to him calmly as
I changed him about how comfortable it would be now to sleep and how tired he
was (and I wasn’t making it up, he was having a hard time keeping his eyes
open). As I got ready to leave he asked
for water, which I offered to let him drink but not hold without supervision
(again, from sad experience), but he wouldn’t have it that way…
By the time I finally put the child lock on and completely
gave up on a pleasant naptime, I was almost seeing red. Then I couldn’t find my phone, so I turned to
my ward Relief Society Facebook page for some – well – Relief. I had already started a comment that would
try to explain a little about what was going on and ask if anyone had some time
to come play…but finally what I posted was, “Someone come to my house! There are no words!” Understandably I got some very worried calls
and texts after that, the first from the same wonderful neighbor, but within
fifteen minutes I had a friend at my house with an age-appropriate Bingo game
and her three-year old, and I deleted the comment from Facebook.
In that fifteen minutes, Ninja, who never naps at home
anymore, made a pillow for himself out of stray socks and fell asleep on the
floor. I moved him to my room so he
wouldn’t be disturbed when my friend arrived.
I tried to put Princess down but she couldn’t sleep because she hadn’t
had enough to eat. I thought sitting at
the doorway and reading would help Nemo feel safe, or at least encourage him to
give up the fight, but the way he peeked at me with one eye through his
blanket, I think he saw the gesture as more of a challenge.
Soon after my friend arrived, Captain woke up to use the
restroom and didn’t really get back to sleep.
I also discovered that Nemo had pooped again, which he had in no way
indicated to me (aside from crying extra loud), so I changed him and just let
him go. They both played Bingo with my
angel friend until I had fed Princess enough to sleep on. We chatted about the day and various other
Mommy things around the kids’ needs until she had to leave, which was only
about half an hour before the time both of the boys with other homes went home.
My Ninja master is still asleep.
Beginning tomorrow I only babysit one who isn’t mine. Relief beyond words.
Thank you to all of my friends and family who would have
been here in a heartbeat if they could, and not think me terrible for having a
special dose of one-of-those-days today.
I hope you’ll never hesitate to let me do the same for you if you need
it.
All is well now – Pancakes for dinner!
